c) Conduct the Private Meeting

You have prepared for this meeting by being clear in your own mind about your multiple purposes and positive assumptions. Here are some simple steps to follow:

1. Set up a meeting time after school (so the staff member does not have to go immediately back to class)
2. Let the person know the topic of discussion.
3. If you work with a teachers' union, let the person know that s/he may bring a representative if s/he wishes, but that it is not necessary at all at this point.
4. At the meeting, remember your purposes.

Think of your agenda as having five parts:
i. State clearly your goals--your desire for greater understanding and hope that together you will find a resolution to the problem.
ii. State clearly your observation of the person's actions (just the facts, no judgments or opinions)
iii. Have a two-way discussion about the impact of those actions on others and on the school goals (allow the person to think about this and to think seriously about impacts; this is a most important learning experience and will help the staff member define the problem as much as possible for him/herself)
iv. Have a discussion about what needs to change and how that might happen (again, the person needs to come up with the answers here). Discuss also what support you might provide to ensure that change happens.
v. Reach agreement about next steps, expectations, timelines for touching base again
OR
vi. Give clear direction of your expectations and what your next steps will be if change doesn't happen (if it comes to this, then you will have failed in a part of your purpose to achieve a positive result)

On one page, document the outcome of the meeting covering all five parts of the agenda outline so that there is no confusion about any agreements that were reached. If this is the first time for such a formal conversation with this staff member, indicate that the write-up is simply for clarification for your own personal and confidential file in your office. That is, in the public school system, this write-up will not be forwarded to the HR Office for inclusion in the employee's personnel file (a high stakes discipline measure). This meeting write-up should be provided by hard copy rather than email.